Frequently Asked Questions

1. Contact the CRTA Office 1(800) 205-2778 and inform them of your planned last day of work and your expected return date.
2. Inform the CRTA office of your practice hours and continuing competency hours during the current year if you are not planning to renew your CRTA licence while on leave. They will be entered into your file.
3. To renew after your leave, you must meet the standard of a minimum of 1500 practice hours in the last 4 years and 48 continuing competency hours in the last 2 years.
4. You are expected to continue continuing competency activities while on leave.
5. Download the slides by following the link below.

Requirements Prior to Going on a Leave Slides

Requirements Prior to Going on a Leave  Video

Registrants must perform the restricted activities in accordance with standards of practice and must meet the requirements for demonstrating competence as established by the council under the Act and this Regulation.

A registrant must perform a restricted activity in accordance with the standards of practice and employer policies and procedures.

a) to cut a body tissue, to administer anything by an invasive procedure on body tissue or to perform surgical or other invasive procedures on body tissue below the dermis or the mucous membrane for the following purposes:

(i) performing blood analyses;
(ii) assisting with cardiac procedures;
(iii) performing hemo-dynamic monitoring;
(iv) assisting with anesthesia;
(v) administering injections;
(vi) suturing;
(vii) performing routine wound care;

b) to insert or remove instruments, devices, fingers or hands beyond the point in the nasal passages where they normally narrow and beyond the pharynx for the purpose of inserting or removing tubes;

c) to administer blood or blood products when assisting with anesthesia;

d) to administer anesthetic gases, including nitrous oxide, for the purposes of anesthesia or sedation when assisting with the provision of anesthesia or bronchodilation.

A registrant referred to in section 63(2) who:

(a) has provided evidence satisfactory to the registrar of having completed and remaining current in the advanced training required by the council, and
(b) has received notification from the registrar that authorization is indicated on the appropriate category of regulated members register

may perform in accordance with standards of practice the restricted
activities listed for the purposes of performing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, needle thoracentesis and the insertion and maintenance of chest tubes.

(i) to cut a body tissue, to administer anything by an invasive procedure on body tissue or to perform surgical or other invasive procedures on body tissue below the dermis for the purpose of insertion and maintenance of chest tubes, insertion of central venous pressure catheters and needle
thoracentesis;
ii) to insert or remove instruments, devices, fingers or hands into an artificial opening into the body for the purpose of insertion and maintenance of chest tubes, insertion of central venous pressure catheters and needle
thoracentesis;
iii) to administer blood or blood products for the purpose of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation;
(iv) to order any form of ionizing radiation in medical radiography for the purpose of ordering a chest X-ray.

((2015 Hours x FTE) - stats - vacation - sick leave) + Overtime hours

There are 11 designated stat holidays in Alberta.

Example:

((2015 x 1.0) - (85.25) - (155) - 0) + 0 = 1774.75 hours for a full time employee with 4 weeks vacation, no sick time, and no overtime

When audited, you are required to submit the supporting forms for the previous 2 years.  The total of these continuing competency hours must be ≥ 48 hours.

Yes.  Although you may have zero practice hours worked to submit you are still required to complete 48 hours of continuing competency over the two year period.  The hours may be obtained by completing activities in any of the sections, as described in the Continuing Competency Information Package.  You must submit a copy of the recording forms, or other supporting documentation, describing details of the activity/event, dates, location, person presenting, a contact person and amount of time spent on the activity.

On all audits, the reported hours are compared between forms.  If there is a discrepancy, you will be required to explain the variance.  Only hours spent on activities that are appropriately documented will be considered towards continuing competency hours.

Submit a course outline to the continuing competency committee with any additional information that you may have Eg. duration of course, does it provide any kind of certification on completion, how it pertains to your scope of RRT practice.

The time would depend upon the nature of the self study.  We recommend that you contact CRTA to determine if what you are considering to use as self study is appropriate for category 1 hour.  Reading journal articles and/or chapters in medical texts would be appropriate self study material.  You must supply the reference if audited and the committee will determine if the hours claimed for self study are within reason for the reference provided. 

You will need to submit a copy (not the originals) of all your tracking forms and/or other supportive documentation that supports the number of hours you have claimed for your continuing competency hours for the previous two years.  These forms, that should describe the activity including a summary of the topic and content, are used to validate the number of hours claimed on your registration form.

This link will take you to a short YouTube video explaining how to login and use the features in the DASHBOARD. It covers:

1. Updating your profile inculding employment, contact information, and skills or credentials.
2. It is how you apply for Special Authorizations.
3. Download permits, and receipts.
4. Upload your ploce information check and professional liability insurance certicate.
5. Plan for next year's renewal.

Navigating and Using the CRTA DASHBOARD

https://youtu.be/5jkdbHGVHTg

No. You must maintain your own records and keep them for 5 years.

You may claim those hours that are directly related to the theory and application of respiratory care, or to the completion of certifications or competencies.  If audited, you will be required to provide substantiation and confirmation for the hours claimed.  Portions of a typical department orientation that would not qualify as CRTA continuing education would include:  Break time, physical orientation to space and hospital personnel, matters related to human resources, and other administrative policies and procedures that are not clinically or respiratory related.  We recommend that you contact CRTA to clarify how many continuing competency hours can be claimed for your specific orientation.

It is essential for purposes of the mutual recognition agreement.  Active participation in a continuing competency program assures receiving jurisdictions you are competent and safe to practice the profession.

Although NCPD credits may be claimed as CRTA continuing competency hours, the actual number of hours may differ.   We recommend that you contact CRTA to clarify how many continuing competency hours can be claimed for the specific NCPD credit(s).

There is a lot of flexibility and diversity in the types of activities that credit can be obtained.  Should you foresee a problem in meeting the minimum requirements you should contact CRTA.  All circumstances where the minimum requirements have not been met are reviewed with the individual.

This would depend upon the actual time devoted to education and the category or nature of the education session.  For example, an 8 hour education session in a lecture format with 1.5 hours of break time, you would be able to claim a maximum of 6.5 hours.  This number may change if some of the sessions were workshop or hands-on (where category 2 would be used and those specific sessions time would be doubled).

We utilize a rolling or floating window, where if a member is audited, they are required to submit his/her audits forms for the previous 2 years and the total hours must be ≥ 48 hours (see question #16 if there are < 48 hours). 

The hours to be indicated on the renewal form are the corrected hours.  For example if you have 28 section 1 hours, 8 hours of hands-on workshop type activity, and if you had prepared and delivered a 2 hour presentation you would enter the following on the renewal form:

The expectation is that the 48 continuing education hours over two years is directly related in the scope of the health services identified in the Regulation.  The continuing competency program was implemented to facilitate the tracking and reporting of activities done to maintain the competency.  Our intent is not to discourage personal development but focus on the maintenance and development of knowledge, skills and attitudes pertinent to scope of practice, as mandated by the Health Professions Act.  Refer to >>Question<< if there is any question as to whether credit will be given.

Resolutions may range from time extensions, written exams, completion of approved 'refresher' programs, conditional licensing and suspension of license for failure to comply.  Where time extensions have been granted, the expectation is that the hours completed only apply to the audited period and not the reporting period that in which they were completed.

For deficient practice hours, a member would be required to complete the Refresher Program before registration would be possible.

These activities are recognized as clinical contact time with respiratory therapy students enrolled in approved programs only.  For every 144 hours per year of clinical contact time with students you will be permitted to submit or claim a maximum of 12 hours of continuing competency.